Progress my a*#se!
Submitted: Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 11:47
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miker
Chatting to a mate last night whose brother works for one of the shire councils in far Western Queensland. He told me that it will only be 3 - 4 years (dry seasons) and the road to
Innamincka (eventually
Coongie Lakes?) via Noccundra will be totally sealed. I've seen first hand my last couple of trips out there that the blacktop is being extended each year. Anyway, this led to a lively discussion about the pro's and con's of this "progress". It may be inevitable, however the thought of that part of the country bristling with family sedans, the banks of the Cooper inundated with weekend warriors etc. is not appealling. Anyway, this was just a lament about changing times.
Cheers guys
Reply By: Member - Nobby - Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 12:15
Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 12:15
Have to agree. Mate of mine drove fron
Gold Coast to Boorooloola in the Gulf and reckons he only drove on 26k of dirt. Hardly the Overland Expidition?
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Follow Up By: Willem - Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 20:51
Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 20:51
There shouldn't have been any dirt if he had taken the long way around to
Borroloola. You can drive from
Cairns to
Perth and encounter little bitumen or you can stick to the blacktop all the way there.
Cheers,
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Follow Up By: Member - Nobby - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 08:55
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 08:55
My guess is that he just wanted to do it the hard way!!!!!!!!!
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Reply By: flappan - Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 12:49
Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 12:49
And we get blasted for trying to do a Cape Trip in something like 10 days.
OK , its not ideal , but if we wait to do 6 weeks , we will be driving on bitumen.
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Reply By: Coops (Pilbara) - Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 13:58
Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 13:58
you can add
the Tanami Track to that list if my sources are correct.
I think they're upgrading all the bridges etc now.
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Reply By: landie - Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 16:50
Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 16:50
It is all about the oil and gas production/exploration in this area.
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Reply By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 17:55
Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 17:55
MIker, you probably don't want to know about road from Boulia/Bedourie/
Birdsville - well it's 400 klms and nearly 200 klms now tarred (in fact saw the Boral truck going out this a.m. to do some more) AND THEN, when they finish that they are going Birdsville/
Windorah (only 300 klms dirt now then tar all the way to
Brisbane). Good news is - they'll NEVER do the
Birdsville Track and they'll never do the SD,
(did I hear you ask why not - well, South Australia hasn't any money for tar - but they do a mighty job maintaining the dirt - they are out there now grading the Track).
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Reply By: Member - Brett H (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 22:46
Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004 at 22:46
With the influx of people developing land south of
Cooktown there is rumor that the
Bloomfield track is also on the sealing agenda.
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Follow Up By: miker - Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 10:40
Wednesday, Mar 10, 2004 at 10:40
As I say...it is enivitable, but that doesn't mean you have to like it. Like so many things you wonder what future generations will have on offer. Not that sealed roads are the end of the world, but it will become harder to satisfy the thirst for some adventure, for those who follow.
Miker.
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Reply By: navaraman - Friday, Mar 12, 2004 at 15:11
Friday, Mar 12, 2004 at 15:11
I love the bush and getting out and about on the dirt but it is inevitable that more and more roads will become bitumenised. Being a pom I found it unbelievable when I first arrived here that a so called road, at least a line on a map joining two
places, was actually little more than a goat track. Compared with the roads in Europe I thought I'd moved to a third world country. Now obviously it is impossible to compare our wide open spaces and sparse
population with the UK but I know I'd rather be heading up a track somewhere than stuck on the M25 in rush hour.
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